I saw this earlier and thought immediately about blogging about it on this blog. I’ve been looking for something like this for an absolute age and now, thanks to PriceGrabber and Firebox.com, I can get one for a really affordable price.

Costing just under £8 the iPhone Stylus and Touchscreen Cleaning Kit is the ideal solution to getting, and keeping, my iPhone clean. I really look after my iPhone these days after the little accident it received at the hands of a so-called “friend”, but I won’t go in to that again.

The iPhone Stylus and Touchscreen Cleaning Kit not only cleans iPhones, oh no, you can use it to clean any smartphone. Actually, you could use it to clean any glass fronted device I should imagine.

The iPhone Stylus and Touchscreen Cleaning Kit works by having a reservoir of special cleaning fluid inside it that’s gets delivered to a spenge that you wipe over the screen. It couldn’t be easier to do. Once you’ve cleaned your device, you can use the included micro fibre carry cloth to give it that final polish and dry.

The stylus that comes with the iPhone Stylus and Touchscreen Cleaning Kit is great if you have bigger than normal fingers and need to be slightly more accurate when you’re writing an SMS message or email. Don’t ask me how it works, I have absolutely no idea.

This is something that all iPhone, or smartphone, owners should have. It helps keep your device free from dirt and grime and could even prolong the life of it. The iPhone Stylus and Touchscreen Cleaning Kit is ideal if you want to keep your device looking like new too (we all know how important that is if we want to sell the device on after getting an upgrade, don’t we).

I doubt anyone who gets one of these will be disappointed.

I made the decision this morning to do some work away from my nice and fast WiFi connection that I have at home and use my O2 Mobile Broadband dongle. Some of you may recall that I blogged about it on this blog a fair while back now.

As I am writing this blog post, the dongle is trying to upload a picture to a blog. Now, the file size of that image isn’t very big to be honest; it’s about 48Kb or so. The trouble is that here in Wales, where I live at least, we don’t have 3G coverage. There are only a few places in Wales that actually have a good 3G coverage.

I’m not placing all the blame on O2 here because it seems that all the networks are the same with only the larger cities having some sort of coverage. This is all well and good, but I live in a rural environment. The 2G network coverage here is excellent though.

I really want to be able to use my O2 Mobile Broadband Dongle to it’s full potential, but having such restrictive connection speeds is hampering me from doing so. There’s an opportunity for O2 (and the other networks) to make some money from upgrading their network too. Obviously I understand that It’ll cost the providers money to get the 2G network updated to 3G, but in this age where information, and the speed at which we get that information, is so important to people, the providers should really be able to provide the service that is required.

I feel that once again the majority of Wales is missing out on the high speed links that most of the UK are enjoying at the moment. I currently have 8Mb broadband at home, which is great. It’s nice and fast and seems to be able to cope with the majority of things I throw at it. But, having said that, 24Mb broadband is being rolled out in other parts of the UK. Yes, you’ve guessed it, in the larger cities of the country.

Come on O2 (and the other networks), let us in Wales have the same service as other parts of the UK. Don’t leave us behind. Thanks

I’ve read recently that most of the top mobile manufacturers in Europe have decided on a single universal socket for their mobile phones. This is great news in my opinion because at the moment there are so many different types of plugs out there. Apparently there are around 30 different combination of plug and socket from the different suppliers.

Apple, Nokia, SonyEricsson, NEC, LG, Samsung and Texas Instruments have all backed the move to create a single micro USB style charging socket on their mobile devices from next year.

It will be great to see this because my iPhone keeps running out of battery in the most inconvenient places and I rely heavily on it to keep in touch through SMS, Facebook, Twitter and email. Being able to use any charger would obviously be a great bonus.

It would also be a great move for the environmentbecause people could use the same charger for any number of mobile phones. The manufactures could offer the mobile devices with or without a charger. As I said, it’s a great move to make the socket an universal one for all manufacturers as it’s going to mean that anyone can charge their mobile anywhere there’s a charger available.

This is definitely a move in the right direction for a change.

Today is a big day for iPhone users all over the world because the 3.0 Firmware is released. I’ve written about this before, but now that it’s nearly upon us I’m getting excited. The new features that 3.0 will bring to iPhone 3G customers is nothing short of amazing.

I’m not going to list the new features as I’ve already done this but wanted to let you good people out there know that it will be available to download from today (17th June). Many of you might not have an iPhone so don’t know of the benefits (and frustrations) of owning an iPhone.

Some of the frustrations I’ve had with it will be addressed in this new Firmware update though, which is always a good thing. My inability to send picture messages was the biggest one for me, but Apple have included this ability in the update. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of getting an iPhone to wait a couple of days until the 19th when the new Apple iPhone 3G S comes out. This will have the 3.0 formware installed on it already, for those of you who already own a 3G iPhone the Firmware update will be free.

Once I’ve managed to get the firmware on my iPhone updated, I will post a review of how I found the new features. Things like easy of use and intuitivness. I’m really looking forward to this now. Speak to you all soon.

I thought about posting this last week when it happened but forgot to do so. I have found out the hard way just how fragile the Apple iPhone really is.What happened was I’d lent the iPhone to a friend who accidentally dropped it on to a slate floor. It fell about 4 feet, but it was enough to ruin the iPhone.

When I say ruined, what I mean is that the screen, or the digitizer as it’s officially called, has cracked all the way down to the home button. As you can see from the picture the top right hand of the screen is also shattered.

What’s worse is that I don’t have insurance on it and it’s not covered under the warranty. So in order to get it repaired I’d have to send it back to O2 / Apple and pay £250 just to replace the screen. This sounds like a huge amount of money to fork out just for a screen. There are other options available obviously. I can get a screen from eBay and fit it myself or pay for someone else to fix it on my behalf. Either way the warranty will be voided.

I’ve been told that I might be able to claim for the repair under the house insurance, but I don’t know about that option. It’s something I have to look in to.

So why am I telling you about this? Well quite simply I would not want it to happen to anyone else. If you have an iPhone you should really get yourself a case for it to protect it. PriceGrabber have done the hard work for you and by following this link you can protect yourself from the same sort of damage that has happened to mine.

It was announced the other day that the HTC Magic (which is the G2 to all intents and purposes and will run the Android Operating System from Google) will be out on the Vodafone network in the UK on May the 5th. What’s good is that you can pre-order the mobile phone right now!

The HTC Magic will be available from free on the £35, 2 year contract which will include:

• Unlimited data connection
• Unlimited text messages
• 600 Minutes of calls

As for some technical specifications of the mobile phone, it will have:

• Full touch screen
• 3G Connection
• WiFi Connection
• 3.2 Megapixel camera
• 2.5Gb of memory.

The HTC Magic will definitely become a device to challenge the iPhone much more than the G1 did. But, having said that, the Palm Pre will be released soon which is also a strong contender for a share of the iPhone market, and as we know, Apple will soon be releasing a new 3.0 version of the iPhone. That could see the bar being raised even higher.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, but it’s definitely an exciting time if you’re looking for a new mobile phone.

Last week I finally got my hands on an Apple iPhone 3G after months of waiting. My O2 contract was in its last month so I took the plunge and updated to the mobile I had been waiting so long to get.

When I got the package containing the Apple iPhone 3G, I was surprised at how small it was, but it was still exciting to cut the seals around the outer box to reveal the iPhone’s box. The good thing was that it was partially charged so I could play with it immediately once I’d inserted my sim card in to it. I did have to activate it through iTunes, but that was a painless and quick task. The first thing I did was transfer my contacts from my Nokia N95 to the Apple iPhone 3G. This was slightly dull as I had to do it entirely manually. If I’d have had an iMac I’m sure it would have been easier.

Having owned an iPod touch in the past I’m sure it was easier for me to get going straight away. The touch screen on the Apple iPhone 3G is much more responsive than the one on my iPod touch, and it does seem to be brighter. That may be down to the Apple iPhone 3G being new though.

There were however a few disappointments. No multimedia messaging (MMS), no forwarding of texts (SMS), and no 3G Signal where I live. OK, the last one is not the fault of Apple, but the other two are. But, Apple held a special event on Tuesday to reveal the new Apple iPhone OS 3.0, which will include MMS and SMS Forwarding. This is what I’d been wanting to hear and it makes the iPhone the best phone ever in my opinion.

On my 18 month contract with O2 I get 600 minutes per month, 500 text messages per month, FREE Data access and unlimited WiFi all for £35. I think that’s a pretty good deal seeing as I was paying £30 previously and using data on that package was expensive! All in all I am more than happy with the new Apple iPhone 3G that I got, but will be even happier come the summer and the 3.0 OS.

PriceGrabber have a huge range of accessories and cases for the Apple iPhone 3G - Go visit the site through this link to have a look.

I know I said I was going to write about some great sales items today, but I saw this and just had to give it a mention here. The Acer Aspire One is a great little gadget to have. With an 8.9-inch Widescreen, the Acer Aspire One notebook is an ideal solution for portable, on the go, internet browsing.

Featuring the Linpus Linux Lite Version operating system and an Intel Atom 1.60 GHz Processor, the Acer Aspire One is not a lightweight machine by a long shot. It also has a range of other great specs:

• 512 MB onboard SDRAM - upgradeable to a maximum of 1.5Gb
• Intel 945GME Express integrated graphics
• 8Gb SSD HDD
• 5 in 1 card reader
• High Definition Audio
• Integrated Webcam
• WiFi

I bought a laptop a few months back, but would seriously consider getting one of the Acer Aspire One notebooks, simply because of the portability. Recently I had to go to Bolton on the train and decided to take the laptop with me. I wish I hadn’t bothered to be honest. The amount of trouble we had with the trains was unbelievable and getting any work done was nigh on impossible. An Acer Aspire One notebook would have been a much better option because of its small, portable size; it measures 24.9 x 17 x 2.9 cm. Not only is it small and portable, it also boasts a good range of expansion possibilities with its 3 high speed USB ports.

At under £200, you have to seriously consider getting an Acer Aspire One if only for using whilst travelling.

I made the plunge on Friday and ordered a new laptop for myself. The one I went for was a Hewlett Packard 6735s and chose to have it delivered yesterday (Saturday). The laptop I had previously had decided to stop working properly and no matter what I tried it simply wouldn’t charge at all. This is very infuriating when you need your laptop to work on a daily basis in different locations. I simply couldn’t do without one because I’m usually to be found at 3 different places around the UK. Being able to work on a given project at any one time is essential for me.

The old laptop had served me well for close enough to four years when it finally decided to head up to laptop heaven. So it wasn’t a difficult decision to make to get a new one.

The Hewlett Packard 6735s that I got has quite a few improvements over the old laptop. It has 4Gb of memory, 250Gb of hard disk space, built-in Webcam, LightScribe DVD Re-Writer and Bluetooth connectivity. Quite an impressive list in my opinion. It won’t surprise you to know that I am writing this blog with the Hewlett Packard 6735s laptop.

The keys have a wonderful feel to them when writing and the touchpad is very responsive. The buttons on the touchpad are a bit of a let down though, as they feel a bit old fashioned to us. They seem to pivot rather that press if that makes any sense. Battery life is excellent too with up to four and a half hours of useage. It does, as most laptops do these days, come with WiFi connectivity too, and it’s what I use most to access the network and internet at home.

I did forget to order a bag for the laptop though, so tomorrow I’ll be on the hunt for one of those. I’m not looking for your traditional carry case though, I want something that’s a bit funky.

There are a selection of Hewlett Packard 6735s laptops available on PriceGrabber if you fancy getting yourself a new one. Not too pricey either.

We live, or at least I do, in a day and age where we want information at our fingertips, not only at home or in the office, but on the move as well. At the same time though we don’t want to be forced into carrying a bulky laptop. For some even the likes of the Asus EEE PC may be too much to carry around. The solution? Perhaps the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet is the way to go.

I managed to have some hands on time with this mini marvel at least years Stuff Live show in London and I must admit I was very impressed with what I saw. At the core is a pretty powerful 400Mhz processor with 128MB of memory. Connectivity options include wireless (that’s both b and g) as well as Bluetooh. I’ve actually seen this device connected to a mobile phone over Bluetooth, which it uses as a modem for Internet connectivity when there isn’t a wireless hotspot around. To complete the picture the device boasts an impressive 4.1″ screen capable of displaying over 65 thousand colours. This system really comes into its own when connected over wireless and offers a wonderful end user experience for the likes of web browsing, instant messaging and email.

The main differences between the n810 and its older brother is a pull down thumb keyboard and GPS. The keyboard is a nice touch and I found myself being able to use it quite well, always important when it comes to taking down those important minutes at that urgent business meeting you have been called to.  The system itself can also support the likes of Skype which in an instant can turn this into a handset capable of making decent quality Voice calls.

My overall impression of the n810 were good, especially when it came to the web browsing experience. I really do believe this system is almost on a par with the much hyped iPhone for simple web browsing. The inclusion of a 3G chip would however fully complete this device for me and make it something I would be very interested in picking up.  Overall though if you are looking for a hand held device whch can deliver top quality web browsing and email on the move the the n810 may be worth considering.